Stephen King

President , DAISY ConsortiumDirector International affairs

Royal National Institute of Blind People, UK

E-Books & Accessibility 13 Feb 2013

E-Books & Accessibility

Ugly Duckling?

Adolescent Swan?

e-Books

• Ugly Ducklings?

• or Adolescent Swans?

Adolescent (Black) SwansBut they need our help growing up

“Born digital” e-books will help us transform access. I'm going to

tell you why. But there are risks. We need your help.

E-Books & AccessibilityUgly Duckling or Adolescent Swan?

• About me

• About the book & curriculum famine

• Who are the DAISY Consortium?

– Our role in e-Books

– Our partnership with World Blind Union and publishing industry to solve the book famine

– Our strategy with publishers

– Our Vision for 21st Century publishing

What's my interest?

• 10 Years with (Harper) Collins publishers

– Dictionary & Children's book publishing

– Early use of computers & databases in publishing

• Subsequent film industry & art publishing

• RNIB publishing: Large print, Braille, Talking books & e-Books

• Founding member of DAISY Consortium

• Now President of DAISY Consortium

Since Caxton people with print disability denied access

Print disabled learners denied access to curriculum

The Right to Read 2000-2013

• "Less than 5% of books are available in any accessible format"

• "It’s a book famine"

• "We want the right to read the same book at the same time, price and place as everyone else"

The Right to Read campaign

• Can Everyone Read your Books? 2011 "Reach more readers through e-Books

• Where's My Book 2006: "Only 12% of Maths & Science available"

• Written Off Report 2004: "95% of books not available"

• Overdue Report 2003: "Frustrated Readers"

• A Closed Book report 2002: "Lack of library services"

What are we saying to publishers?

Improving e-Book Practice

Global partnership to solve the book famine

• World Blind Union members

• IFLA members

• DAISY Consortium

• Publishers & Rights agencies

• Standards organisations

• Technology companies

• Training & research orgs

What's the Evidence e-Books areAdolescent (Black) Swans?

That need nurturing

The ebook revolution

"People with print disabilities are increasingly able to enjoy the same book at the same price and place as everyone else"

"But there is much more to do to end the book famine."

Stephen King

RNIB UK May 2011

Good News!E-book revolution: Ending book famine

Today– 7% of all books available in UK accessible by eyes, ears &

fingers, 2011. (Up from 5% in 2004)

– 76% of top 1000 books sold in 2011 are e-books, readable by eyes, ears & fingers. (Up from 54% 2010)

Still many barriers– user skills & knowledge;

– cost of technology & DRM

– not a great reading experience

Availability of accessible publications: 2011 Update, Report to RNIB, Helen Greenwood, Sonya White and Claire Creaser, October 2011 www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/solutionsforbusiness/publishing/Pages/publishing_industry.aspx

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E-books already improving access

• For some people

– Partially sighted & Dyslexic

– People with knowledge & skills

• Current e-books limited

– Flat print representation

• EPUB 3 transforms possibilities

– Navigation, audio & text synchronised, video etc

• EPUB 3 is designed to include accessibility

Still much to do… Many publishingand reading problems still to

solve

How are the DAISY

Consortium involved?

76% readable but

last 24% present

intractable

problems. (Unpublished

RNIB research)

Who are the DAISY Consortium?

• Not for Profit organisations serving people with print disabilities

• Friends and educators

• Worldwide Membership

– 50+ Countries US, Latin Am, EU, Africa, India, Asia

– All continents (Bar Antarctica) (Tho we do have Iceland)

– WBU & IFLA strategic partners

• Please join us to help solve the book famine

The DAISY Consortium

Our Vision

• People have equal access to information and knowledge, regardless of disabilities

Our Mission

• Working to create the best way to read and publish, for everybody, in the 21st century

By delivering global partnerships ... that build a more effective solution for everyone.

Committed to a common mission & vision. Coordinating resources to deliver global change 20

Global partnershipsSolving the book famine

Our goal is confident learnersReading what they want, when they want

with eyes, ears or fingers

What are we good at?

• We know about reading & e-Books• How people with print disabilities read

• Reading technologies

• Blind people have been e-Book readers for years

• We also know about braille, audio, large print

• We know about publishing process• Technology of publishing

• Control the technology & standards for e-books

• We are well connected with publishers

• We are well connected to WBU & Libraries

What's our role in e-Books?

• Partnership with International Digital

Publishing Forum

– Develop EPUB 3 as a worldwide standard for e-Books with accessibility built in

• Everything we know about accessibility built in

• Everything we know about great navigation built in

– Promoting built-in accessibility for all publications

– Developing tools for customised access material production from EPUB 3 standard

– Promoting access in reader tools and channels

• We've got the attention of publishers & governments (UNCRPWD)

• We've got a Global alliance

• We have great people in Leadership positions

– George Kerscher: President, IDPF

– Markus Gylling: CTO, IDPF / DAISY

• Have the technology publishers need

Our Aim is: Inclusive Publishing

The total process, from author to reader.

Designed to embrace all.

"There is a version for everyone whatever their skills reading with their eyes, ears or fingers."

•Embraces the customising process (when needed) to deliver same time, price & place

•Better for people with disabilities and without

•Efficient and affordable for all

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Definitions: Built-in accessibility

A mainstream publication,

usable directly by people reading

with their eyes, ears or fingers,

with no need for modification.

For example, currently:

•works with screen readers,

•has great navigation,

•pictorial material adequately described.

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Inbuilt accessibility: StandardE-book read by eyes ears or fingers

Definitions: Customised for accessibility

A separate version of, or additions to,

a mainstream publication,

modified to be read by disabled persons

using their eyes, ears or fingers to read. This may include:

• Re-design for Braille, adding additional description, speech narration, additional tactile diagrams, simplification.

• Often, distributed separately via a special library.

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Different version or addition

Customised for accessibility

• Picture descriptions, complex layout

• Simplified for learning disability

• Economically derived from standard e-book

Inclusive publishing delivers learnersReading what they want, when they want

with eyes, ears or fingers

Strategy for Inclusive Publishing• Increasing numbers of publications that are “born

accessible”

• Improved efficiency where publications need enhancements: Customised accessible materials

• Efficient marketplace for customised accessible materials worldwide: TIGAR, Bookshare, etc.

• Ensuring people have the tools and skills to read accessible mainstream and enhanced publications. Technologies & training

Vision for curriculum access in 21st C

• E-books readable on mobile devices (Phone)

– Local language speech synthesis & screen readers

– Low cost braille display: Transforming Braille

– Low cost tablets

• Direct production of Braille from e-books

• Teacher support focused on customisation not transcription

– Picture descriptions, diagrams, maths etc

• Sharing custom materials worldwide

E-book revolution provides the opportunity for Inclusive Publishing

• Publishing industry is under massive change.

• Disruptive technology, not yet matured

• This is THE opportunity to re-engineer the publishing industry, as an inclusive industry

But how?34

Inclusive publishingA new model for 21st Century

• Publishers re-design workflows to produce "Born Digital" e-books, deriving print from this

• They build in most access features to e-Book

• Publishers are linked to a trusted network of custom materials (re)-publishers

• All learners gets e-Book at same place and use standard devices (with their access tech)

• A world e-network of Trusted Intermediaries "Shops" provide custom access materials

Great progress

• Many educational publishers "Get it"

– Pearson, Elsevier, CUP etc

– Apple has mastered accessibility - gaining competitive advantage

– Industry needs help, support & advocacy

• Legislation helps: US & EU law puts pressure

– Level playing field. Reward those who do right

• Thousands of learners getting independent access now

Projects with WIPO & PublishersStakeholder Platform to deliver inclusive publishing

• Copyright reform: WIPO Treaty in June 2013

• Enabling Technologies• EPUB 3 standard development and roll out

• Mainstream tools that deliver inbuilt accessibility

• Publisher education & training

• Tools to deliver custom materials: Obi, Tobi

• TIGAR network: (Trusted Intermediary network) & Bookshare

– market place for custom access materials

• Developing Countries capacity building

Inclusive publishing & E-Books: Still much more to do!

• User skills and confidence

• Accessible menus and navigation

• Finding and buying

• Terrible speech

• Digital Rights Management blocks access tools

• User tools & publisher tools & systems

• Publisher knowledge & skills

• Learner support staff skills

How you can help

• Tell publishers you want inclusive publications

– Procurement policies

– Customer feedback

– Advocacy with educational publishing industry

– Promote PA/TechDis best practice guides

• Promulgate good practice & training materials

• Help people develop skills & confidence

• Join the DAISY Consortium and participate

E-BooksUgly Duckling or Adolescent Swan?

Its up to all of us to make sure they grow up as Swans

that deliver the "Right to Read" in 21st Century

Thank you!

Stephen KingPresident DAISY Consortium: President@Daisy.org

Royal National Institute of Blind People: www.rnib.org.uk

Together we can

Solve the book famine